I think I have some of the same feelings of angst and uncertainty about this week’s episode, Ji Yeon, as I did about last week’s episode, The Other Woman. On the one hand, I like learning more about the endgame. On the other hand (I have five fingers. Har!) I don’t want to see it end.

As a co-worker remarked earlier this week, it’s getting lost yourself - immersing yourself each Thursday night with a pad, a pen and the pause button - that makes it all worthwhile.

Ultimately, I do this for you people. My adoring public. My fellow Losties.

Read on.

  • The Oceanic Six

    • Prior to Ji Yeon, ABC has been hyping this episode as the one where the final member of The Oceanic Six would be revealed.

    After toying with us (just like last week) with a flashback (Jin’s much like Juliet’s), we see the flash-forward is Sun’s.

    The final tally (in revelatory order):

    1. Jack
    2. Hurley
    3. Sayid
    4. Kate
    5. Aaron
    6. Sun

    Commence to disagreement or nit-picking. I may have gotten things wrong.

    Subtle, but true: Jin’s death is listed as 9/22/2004, the date that Oceanic Flight 815 crashed. This is in keeping with the previous backstory (forward story?) that the Oceanic Six are the *only* survivors of the crash. I wonder, is Jin actually still alive or is the grave a sign that he did die?

    Lots of questions about why the Oceanic Six ARE the Oceanic Six, but I’m sure we’ll know more eventually. I actually hope not SOON.

  • The Survivors of the Chancellor

    • The Survivors of the Chancellor is a novel by Jules Verne dealing with a shipwreck and survivors and other Lost-like nonesuch. Regina was reading it before she weighted herself down, skindiver-style, affecting her own demise.

    Discuss.

  • The Black Box

    • So we have two starting points:

    1. Captain Gault is telling the truth
    2. Captain Gault is lying

    Ben’s man on the boat, Michael AKA Kevin Johnson seems to think Gault is lying.

    So, the black box is either a sure sign that something time-screwy is happening OR *someone* faked the wreckage.

    Charles Widmore would claim that it’s Ben Linus. Ben Linus would claim that it’s Charles Widmore. Or worse: Ben would advance some other theory which is beyond the scope of this bullet point.

    My question is this: who stands to gain more from propagating the lie that Oceanic Flight 815 crashed with no survivors?

    My own personal opinion is that Charles Widmore used the Captain’s Log of the Black Rock to come up with coordinates to stage the wreckage. The story of Find815.com, while not completely canonical, does point to Widmore-owned Maxwell Group embarking on a mission to find The Black Rock only to stumble upon Oceanic Flight 815. We saw this in several episodes this season as well.

    But why?

    Matthew Abbadon, recruiter of the Freighter Folk who make it to the island, told Naomi (who wasn’t convinced) that there were no survivors of Oceanic Flight 815. Captain Gault obviously shared Naomi’s feelings and believes that Sayid is who he says he is. Likewise for Daniel Faraday and Charlotte Lewis.

    Again, why?

    Why hire a bunch of folks who might actively work to uncover/discover your handiwork, unless it wasn’t Widmore behind it?

    I guess it’s another mystery we’ll learn more about. Graciously something new to not know. :-)

  • Yi Jeon

    • I’m sure someone is fast at work on a timeline, but I’d love to have a prohibitive date for her birthday. Figuring that Sun is 8 weeks pregnant when Juliet examines her and that we’re at roughly day 100 in the Yi Jeon episode, that makes her birthday what? Sometime in July or August of 2005?

    I’m no mathematician but I want to know how this flashforward synchs up with Hurley’s mental institution stay, Jack’s bridge experience, the trial and everything else.

    The producers have said that they don’t mess with time internal to each particular flash, but since tonight had one in each direction, I’m seriously questioning why Hurley was the only one who came to visit and WHERE/WHEN everyone/thing is happening in the “future”.

  • Kevin Johnson

    • For those of you who had Michael Dawson, below deck, with the mop (sorry, Clue fans): *Ding!*

    But where is Walt?
    Why is/isn’t he the suspected saboteur (more so/less so than some others on the Freighter)?
    Did he wash up on the boat or make it back to civilization first? (It seems more probable that he just washed up, but where is Walt?)

    More to come, I’m sure, in the next episode: Meet Kevin Johnson. No official word from ABC if it’ll air next week, but I think I’ve seen releases that we’re stuck waiting a month for the final 6 episodes of the season (we’ve seen 7 thus far).

So a few minor advancements forward and some more spidery questions.

Still, I miss the wholly unknown Lost and I’m still struggling to accept the flashforward, chugging-toward-eventual-resolution Lost.

Oh well. G’night!

And as usual/always, leave a comment.

BONUS LINK: Lost Madness (it’s timely basketball reference) from the Washington Post. Go vote!

They’re ahead of the NCAA Tournament timeframe, but it’s cute